Change
by triggerhappyjayne
Summary: Oliver offers Chloe something she can not pass up.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfiction. It takes place after Descent the only thing I've changed is that Brainiac never hurt Lana. She is fine and still with Clark. Hope you enjoy!**

Chloe sat on the couch in the talon apartment confusion racking her brain

Chloe sat on the couch in the talon apartment confusion racking her brain. Lionel had been killed, by Lex no less, she had the evidence but it was destroyed. Lex had the key to controlling Clark, Lois had been shot and to top it all off Lex fired her from the planet and all in one night.

Earlier Chloe was at the hospital until Lois made her leave and get some rest. The doctor wanted to keep her over night due to the amount of blood she lost. Chloe wanted to heal her but it was too risky. 'How would I explain it and would Lois look at me differently.' Went through her mind. Though she felt guilty for not doing it Clark told her if was for the best and a little gunshot wound wouldn't be enough to get Lois down. Chloe just nodded "I suppose so."

Now Clark was back at the farm with Lana. Lois was at the hospital with Jimmy of all people. He had insisted on staying guess he felt somewhat responsible. Which leaves Chloe all alone once again.

"What am I going to do?" she thinks aloud. "I have no job and I failed everyone. They would all be better off without me."

"I highly doubt that" a voice came from the door making her jump almost 20 feet in the air. Well if felt like 20 feet.

Covering her heart with her hand Chloe looks up and is shocked even more to see who it is.

"OLIVER!!"

" The one and only" he remarks confidence oozing from ever word.

If she wasn't so scared she would have had some smart comeback but her brain still wasn't functioning.

" What are you doing here?"

" Heard what happened."

" How?" Chloe wonders.

" I have my connections," he says moving into the apartment.

" Well Lois isn't here she's at the hospital."

" Good" Oliver says as he closes the door.

" What! Aren't you here for her? I mean she's the one that got shot and all."

" I think Lois can handle herself, plus I heard it was a minor wound nothing to worry about."

Oliver sets next to her on the couch.

" Then why are you here?"

Oliver turns and looks her straight in the eyes, " For you."

Chloe's eyes are about to pop out of her head, "What! Why! What!"

Oliver chuckles at her shock glad it was he that caused it.

He leans in and smiles a little, " Well Sidekick I thought that would be obvious."

Chloe's eyebrows raise and she can only squeak out, "No."

Oliver leans away rubbing his hands a little until he locks his fingers together. "I've been wanting to, how do I put this, recruit you for a while now."

"Me?" She asks dumbfounded.

He laughs. "Yes you. Chloe you would be an asset to the team."

"How can I help, you have Victor who is way better with computers than me."

"He is good" he nods. "But you can do something's he can't. Chloe you look at situations differently and see what we don't. You can hack into anything. Plus you're our eyes when we can't see."

Chloe smiles knowing he's right but never verbalizing it. " But why now?"

Oliver shrugs, " Well why not now, you need a job and I'm offering."

"Its not that easy Oliver." Chloe says with a sigh.

Oliver gets that smug look "Why not, what is keeping you here." Then he points at her " and don't say Clark."

Chloe stands up abruptly looking down at him. "He's some of the reason. I can't just leave him he needs me."

"Well I need you too." He says bluntly looking right back at her. "What can be so important for you to stay? Clark isn't doing anything. He's playing house with Lana. Which I know you don't like to watch. And not to mention he takes you for granted."

"No he doesn't" Chloe puts her hands on her hips.

Oliver stands "Oh really" and moves around the coffee table towards her. "Let me ask you does he ever visit you just to talk or just to see you. Does he take you to lunch or go out for coffee?

Chloe looks down at her feet.

Oliver chuckles. "I'm guessing no. I bet the only time he comes to you is when he needs help. Needs you to hack into some file or track down someone. I bet he's never even really told you thank you."

Now he was standing right in front of her staring at the top of her blonde head. She could see his Armani shoes. She slowly brought her head up and locked eyes with him.

Oliver's breath was taken from him. All that he saw in her piercing green eyes was pain and heart ache. 'Clark you bastard you did this to her!' Oliver softly pushes some hair behind her ear. "The team would never do that to you. I would never do that."

She grins slightly "I know."

They hold each other's gaze for a moment until she turns her back to him. "But there's also Lois."

This time he lets out this huge loud laugh causing her to quickly spin around.

"What's so funny?"

Through his chuckles he manages to get out "The fact that you're worried about leaving Lois."

Now Chloe was irritated "she's my cousin of course I'm worried."

"Chloe" he moves toward her slowly. "Lois is always leaving to track down a lead or go see her father. Does she check in with you to make sure its ok?"

Damn he's right "well no."

"Then what's the problem?" he asks.

She doesn't answer him and silence takes hold of the entire apartment. She is looking at the floor again and he wishes she wouldn't do that. There was something about Chloe that told him she was suppose to hold her head high not hang it in defeat.

He moves close to her putting his hands on her elbows of her crossed arms. "Chloe you're a strong, independent, fearless woman that has a lot to offer. You're meant to do much more in this world. Your selling yourself short by staying here. Come with me. Do what you were born to do."

In a meek voice she asks " which is what?"

"Help. You give of yourself more than anyone I know. Chloe can't you see it. You're a hero too."

Oliver slowly lifts her chin with his finger. Looking straight in her eyes without blinking he makes his final plea.

"Come be our watchtower?"

Chloe can see the sincerity in his chocolate brown eyes. He has pleaded his case and believes it to be true. She looks at him knowing that her decision was going to change everything.

"OK"


	2. Chapter 2

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Chloe turns over looking at the clock. Inwardly groaning, '5a.m. already.' Turning it off she reluctantly sets up stretching her arms above her head. She easily slips on her fuzzy pink slippers and heads to the bathroom. Doing her morning routine she steps into the shower letting the warm water pelt her ivory skin. Taking a deep breath inhaling the steam her mind wonders back to the night before.

_The smile that graces Oliver's face stretches from ear to ear. Chloe realizes that she has never seen an actually smile from him before; he should do it more often._

"_Fantastic!" Oliver says stepping around her. "We leave at dawn."_

_Chloe's mouth falls open, 'dawn' she thinks. She turns around to see Oliver getting a glass and putting water in it from the faucet_

"_Whoa, hold on there Gumby." _

_Oliver just shakes his head while rolling his eyes._

"_Dawn, did I hear you say dawn?" _

"_Yes dawn, as in when the sun comes up." Oliver says dumbly to her bringing the glass to his lips and taking a long drink. _

"_I know when dawn is." Chloe says while she stomps over to him. "And who gave you permission to make yourself at home." She takes the glass from him and pours the rest out._

"_Well a good hostess would have offered." He said crossing his arms over his chest while leaning back against the counter._

_With one hand on the counter and the other on her hip she looks at him annoyed._

"_If were leaving at dawn obviously I don't have the time to cater to your needs."_

_Oliver just smirks at her loving that he can rile her up so quickly. He has a snappy come back but she is right, there wasn't a lot of time and this could go on forever. _

_They stare at each other for a minute. Chloe feels heat rise up in her cheeks under his gaze and decides to break the silence._

"_So why dawn?" _

_It takes a second for her words to register. Blinking rapidly a couple of time he answers. "Oliver Queen is out on business. I can't take a chance on being seen." _

"_Understandable" she quickly replies. _

_It astonishes him how easily she accepts what he says._

_As he walks out of her kitchen he states, "Just bring what you have to have. Whatever else you need I can get it."_

"_Oliver, I can't ask you to do that." Chloe watches as he sets down at her table leaning the chair back slightly._

"_As I recall you didn't ask."_

_She huffs, "you know what I mean."_

"_Chloe your part of the team now and I take care of my team." He puts his hands behind his head stretching all the way out. "Plus did you forget I'm a billionaire." The last part was said with a smirk. _

_Chloe could tell she wasn't going to win this battle "fine."_

_Victoriously he says, "Good, now get your stuff together and say bye to everyone."_

_Oliver sees her face become worried "what?"_

"_I can't say bye to Clark!" she says urgently._

"_Why?" He asks confused._

"_Because if I tell him he will try to convince me to stay and I can't say no to him when he gets that lost puppy look of his." She hurriedly says._

_Oliver laughs. "He does do that well doesn't he." _

_Oliver takes note that her eyebrows are scrunched together and she's biting her bottom lip. He swallows the lump that has formed in his throat and proceeds on as if nothings happened._

"_Well say goodbye or not, I don't care" he stands. "But be ready to go by 5:45." As he strides to the door he says, "my driver will be waiting."_

_Chloe looks up finally realizing he has moved to the door ready to leave. "Oh ok yeah I'll be ready, no need to worry." _

"_I never worry it gives me wrinkles" he states sarcastically. _

_Chloe just laughs, "well on that egotistical note you have to go cause I have a lot to do and most of all I have to figure out a way to tell Clark."_

_Oliver raises his eyebrows, "good luck with that."_

"_Thanks" she says rolling her eyes._

_He opens the door but before he leaves he turns to her, "nice doing business with you. See you soon…Sidekick." He walks out with a grin._

As the memory fades Chloe shuts off the shower, grabs a towel wrapping it around her and goes to the mirror to dry her hair. When her hair is done to her satisfaction she gets dressed then returns to apply her makeup. Looking at her finished product she sees herself from freshman year.

So much has happened since then and she wonders what the once stone cold reporter who wanted to uncover every dirty little secret and expose them to the world would think of her now. Now that she was the secret keeper of secrets that could win her a Pulitzer. But she has learned that some secrets are secret for a reason and aren't meant to be exploited.

Shaking herself out of it she walks to the bed and puts the last few items in her bag.

After Oliver left last night it didn't take long to pack. One suitcase, a duffle bag and an hour later she was done. But the way she figured she'd tell Clark took forever.

_She decided instead of telling him face to face she would write a letter since she was a writer. But it wasn't that simple. She went through countless papers, writing and rewriting sometimes chunking it all and starting over._

_She agonized over how to start it, 'do I start with Dear Clark or Dearest Clark or maybe My Clark.' Also how to end it, 'Yours truly no no maybe Love no way.'_

_When she finally finished it she looked over at the clock and sighed in disbelief. '3 a.m. already, man and I have to be up at 5.' So she quickly put the letter in an envelope and wrote on it in big letters CLARK. Placing it on the counter top she quickly went to bed. _

Now at 5:40 with her bag slung over her shoulder and the suitcase at her feet she stands at the door scanning the apartment one last time. Her gaze settles on the white envelope and she only hopes that he understands. She slowly turns the knob and exits without looking back.

Walking down the stairs she runs her hand along the smooth banister relishing the calm it gives her. As she steps onto the Talon floor she glides to the center and slowly spins around embedding every aspect of the room to her memory.

The Talon has been a source of refuge for her throughout the years and she would have it no more. Though the thought should frighten her it didn't.

With one last deep breath she fills her senses full of the sweet smell that she has cherished over the years and leaves with a smile.

When she steps outside she sees and older man, about 50, standing by the back passenger door of a Ford Crown Victoria holding a cup. But what makes her smile is the color of the car…forest green not surprising.

"Miss. Sullivan," the man says tipping his head to her. "Mr. Queen gives you this," he says handing the cup to her. "He hopes it's to your liking he picked it up himself." She accepts it and is surprised Oliver got it personally for her.

"Thank you" she says. Noticing there is writing on the side she lifts the cup of hot coffee to her face and reads in big black letters SIDEKICK. She laughs out loud earning a look from the driver. She has a feeling that that name is going to stick.

The man opens the door for her and jesters, "you may get in ma'am and I will put your things in the trunk."

"Oh yes thank you" she's not used to someone doing things for her.

She gets in and he shuts the door for her. When her luggage is secured within the trunk he reenters the car and slowly starts to drive toward the Smallville airport.

Chloe sets quietly, looking at Smallville pass by her window. 'I can't believe I'm doing this.' It's all that crosses her mind as she sips on her coffee. She can see the rays of the sun just starting to peek through the darkness as they pull into the airport.

When the car comes to a stop Chloe looks up to see a plane in front of them. Her door opens suddenly and a hand is extended toward her. She quickly takes the drivers helping hand and exits the car. As she gazes at the aircraft she notices someone has started to come out of the plane and towards her. She smiles when she sees its Oliver.

"Well I see that you made it ahead of schedule" he says smiling.

She replies with a smirk, "of course, I told you not to worry."

"That you did," he says as he steps up to her. "I see you got my gift" he nods toward the cup.

Looking at it quickly "oh yes thank you. Though I have to say I'm surprised you got it yourself."

Oliver's hand goes over his heart and he fakes a pained look. "I'm hurt you'd say that." Then he leans in toward her, "I told you I'd take care of you Sidekick" he grins.

Chloe smiles at him, she's beginning to like her new nickname.

They are interrupted "Sir, Miss. Sullivan's things are stored and the jet is ready for take off" the man says shyly.

"Thank you Scott" Oliver says while reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a 100 dollar bill handing it to the man who looks utterly confused. "For the early wake up call" Oliver states.

The man gets this goofy grin, "thank you Mr. Queen, I don't know what to say."

Oliver waves his hand, "no need you deserve it."

They nod at each other and the man, named Scott, leaves.

"Well that was quite generous of you" Chloe says with raised eyebrows.

Oliver turns his attention back to the blonde, "life isn't easy. I like to help were I can."

"Yeah, I've noticed" she says with a smile.

Oliver is surprised at how bright her smile is, "well shall we go" he jesters to the plane.

"Yes, I say we shall" Chloe responds earning a chuckle from him.

Oliver puts his hand on the small of her back and motions forward, "well lead the way my lady."

She nods to him and starts up the stairs of the plane. She stops, turns around and takes one final look at Smallville's horizon. The sun is just now breaking over the ground casting golden rays of light throughout the town making it look so peaceful.

Chloe knows that she is closing the chapter of her life that was Smallville. And as she turns around and steps onto the plane she opens a new one with unlimited possibilities.

**Thanks for the reviews. The next chapter Clark find out she's gone. So there probably wont be any Chloe or Oliver in that one. But Chapter four she meets up with the guys. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.**


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